You know those days where you just feel like throwing in the towel? The ones where your house is a wreck, your kids are driving you nuts and you are so overwhelmed with work you just want to scream? That’s where I was yesterday.

It’s a sad reality that I feel this way, but I do. I am sure that I am not alone.

I shared about being laid off from my normal work from home job. The one with the paycheck that was the same every two weeks and the health insurance. Yeah, my life got flipped upside down after that.

I had big goals for June and this month of July. June went by as a transition month. July is my birthday month and I turned 28. Not old, but old enough to me. Three kids can take a toll on you. July is not going quite as I had planned but we will see when August goals are set to see where I am.

But back to the point. Lately throwing in the towel sounds great. I was doing just fine until I got laid off. The money was guaranteed, my house was semi-clean and I actually had time for my kids.

BUT YESTERDAY I DRANK MY COFFEE AND HANDLED IT!

I found a new perspective and made a new outlook for myself. I needed to get back on track and make myself happy. Make time for my kids. Make time for getting housework done. Make time for some sanity.

I am scraping by to bring in what I can to help the family and putting in applications for a job that provides me insurance. AND THAT’S OKAY. It’s what I can do for now.

My Virtual Assistant business has opened up opportunities to meet some great bloggers that I am able to help. I love doing that, but the process doesn’t make as much sometimes as my other job. That’s fine though. I am doing my part. I am using my talents of helping others and knowing what it takes in the blogging world to get posts noticed.

I am doing this. It’s all new to me to be “jobless”. By this I mean not having a paper check or direct deposit every week. No 401K.

My husband is handling all of my mood swings and kids driving me crazy and the house not quite being perfect with grace. I appreciate him for this. He for the most part has been my rock. Praises me when I make accomplishments with my blog. Not all husbands understand what we do every day.

So here’s to taking a step back and taking a deep breath. I will survive this. I will find the schedule that works for me. I won’t feel terrible about my kids entertaining themselves while I am in front of the computer what seems like 24/7. I will make changes to be the best me that I can be.

The morning has arrived; you head out to the kitchen to turn on that coffee pot so it brews that wonderful, lovely, picker upper coffee so that you are able to start your day in peace. Coffee is the morning drink of choice for many people, especially busy moms, but what many don’t realize is that drinking coffee actually helps you. It is true, coffee can help you and here’s how drinking coffee helps you …

Coffee Gives Your Energy – the caffeine in coffee gives you a bolt of energy as it rushes through your blood stream and into your brain. Once the caffeine has reached your brain it works as a stimulant to active areas of your brain that allow you have an increase in energy.

Coffee Helps Your Mood – the neurotransmitters that caffeine reaches in your brain work as a stimulant, which increase your happiness naturally. The rush of the psychoactive substance, caffeine, is the cause of your improved mood.

Boosts Metabolism – many studies have been completed that demonstrate coffee has something that boosts your metabolism and increases your fat burning rate. This means that you can partially thank your coffee addiction for helping you lose weight.

Provides Nutrients – coffee actually contains several nutrients that are important for your body, so you can actually thank coffee for supplying your body with the nutrients of Riboflavin, Pantothenic Acid, Manganese, Potassium, Magnesium and Niacin.

Lowers Risk of Depression – many studies have been conducted that cite coffee as having the possibility of lowering the risk of depression, specifically in females.

Helps with Headaches – the caffeine in coffee can actually help work like pain medication and alleviate headaches for many people.

Reduces Risk of Cancer – while there are still some studies that will argue this, thus far it has been shown those who drink java are actually less likely to develop certain cancers.

Preventative Against Diabetes Type 2 – while no study is conclusive, thus far there has been a huge correlation between coffee and how it may just prevent the risk of developing diabetes type 2.

While people are telling you to slow down on that coffee consumption, remember this list of ways coffee helps you out in life. Coffee alone without the extra sugar or creamer is actually quite healthy for you, even with the additives you can rest easy knowing that coffee is bringing many benefits into your life. One of which is that mood boosting response first thing in the morning when you awake to children ready to take on the world!

I wrote this over a year ago, but still being a work from home mama this is still so relevant.

Summer has been here for two weeks. TWO weeks. As a mom with three kids in varying ages, things can get a little stressful keeping them busy and not refereeing fights. My son is always bored, then he’s hungry, and then he is bored again. My two girls are already so catty with each other at the toddler and preschooler ages. They want to change clothing, destroy every toy in the house (because having one toy out at a time is just not enough) and then just like clock work will follow suit with their brother’s boredom and become whiny. So what do you do?

I find myself always telling someone to stop that or be quiet. Working from home has blessings but it also has curses. There is no alone time to decompress. Your sanity is in jeopardy. Your kids that take naps just won’t and the child that doesn’t just won’t keep quiet or still long enough to allow it to happen anyway.

Summer break takes some getting used to when it comes to having the kids in the house ALL THE TIME. I have felt frazzled and been at my wits end. I have wanted to banish them to their rooms. I hope that using some of these tactics will help you keep some hair on your head this summer.

First off is to adjust what you expect from your kids. You can’t be let down or frustrated if you didn’t expect it in the first place. Even though the light hours are longer, this doesn’t mean that you have to work on more things. It means you have more time to get things done that you wanted to in the first place. As for the kids, their schedules will be thrown off because they will want to stay up late because it is still light out. This would not be a problem if they slept in too, but with the light of the day comes the awakening of little eyes.

The rules for summer WILL be different whether you want them to be or not. Get the family together and decide what the rules are and who will be doing what to help out. The house can stay relatively clean when the kids are in school, but when they are not the mess can be made more quickly. The other thing that can get out of hand is “boredom eating”. We are all guilty, but making sure the kids know that meals and snack times are when they will eat can help reduce some headaches with the “I’m hungry!” problem.

Schedules can work to your advantage. I do warn you though not to sign up for too much or get yourself too busy. This can defeat the purpose of helping with stress! We normally do some YMCA Swim Lessons or go to the park for free play. My son goes to summer school (as our choice), so that he has interaction with other children and is keeping his skills in use that he learned during the school year. My son is out half days Monday through Thursday and then on Friday has the whole day at home. This is when we get creative together.

It’s good for the kids to be let loose. I’m better saying this than actually doing it. I get some OCD from my Dad and so the chaos that goes on around me sometimes sends me over the edge. Toys are everywhere! I have had to let my kids do what they want as long as they pick it up afterwards. My stress level has actually gone down by not making them “Stop that!” or “Be quiet!” all the time. Let them run, laugh and play. As long as they are not putting themselves in danger, they are just blowing off energy. They may even pass out and take a nap of you’re lucky.

Take a grownups break. Find that time that your family members or friends would help out with the kids and do nothing or go out. Relax and live a little! I get the break when my parents take my two oldest on vacation. I typically still have the smallest one but there is no one here to make her angry, so it’s a win! My husband and I can also get some alone time when she goes to sleep. Don’t forget about your significant other either!

Quiet time is still necessary. You need this time to decompress. It’s absolutely necessary. I get mine if I can manage to get a movie on and the littlest asleep. If not, I wait until my hubs is home and we have eaten dinner and the kids are in the bath to unwind.

And lastly, be flexible! Some households swear on a schedule and others don’t use one at all. No matter what your choice, make sure that you are flexible with it because life does happen. Things can change in an instant and you just have to go with the flow to keep the stress away.

What is your best tip to take back your summer and actually be able to relax with kids at home?

Summer brings road trips. Road trips with toddlers can be stressful, but with these five must haves you won’t have to worry about them being uncomfortable while in the car for those long hours. Gerber Lil’ Beanies are the perfect addition to those on the go travel necessities. I will admit that I have never gone longer than a 6 hour round trip with my kids in the car, but I know that many road trips are even longer than that.

With this list of must haves, your travel life just got a lot easier with little ones.

FIVE TODDLER ROAD TRIP MUST HAVES

1. Blanket

Nothing screams the comfort of home like having their favorite blanket to snuggle up with when they get tired.

2. Toys

Toys can make all the difference, especially ones that are interactive. If your child has a sibling, having games and toys that they can play with together is an even bigger plus.

3. Movies

I know that in my van I have a DVD player. This is a must for trips that are really long. A DVD can last for 1.5 hours and can capture attention for that long. Maybe if you are lucky they will also fall asleep during or after the movie is over.

4. Change of Clothes

Nobody likes to ride in messy clothing. With toddlers, accidents happen so making sure that you have a change of clothes at the ready is important.

5. Snacks

Nutrition is really important at any age, but when you are on the go, Gerber Lil’ Beanies Snack is your go-to snack to feed your little one. They are a brand new snack that comes in two different flavors, Original and White Cheddar & Broccoli. My son loved Gerber snacks when he was a toddler and now my daughters also enjoy them. You can pick them up at Walmart stores for a really decent price! They are located in the baby section along with other toddler snacks.

Made from the goodness of navy beans, Lil’ Beanies has 2 grams of protein (9% Daily Value) and 1 gram of fiber per serving. Also, Lil’ Beanies is baked, not made with genetically engineered (GM) ingredients, naturally flavored and has a taste toddlers love!

Nutritious options when you are on the move can be hard to come by, but Gerber Lil’ Beanies Snack has a taste toddlers love which takes the hassle and hard work out of feeding your kids. This is the first bean-based snack in the baby aisle. Can you believe that there is a nutritious treat that is from a familiar brand that your kids already love?

The flavors are also going to become addicting for your little one. I admit that I tried them, too. You can hardly even tell that these Gerber snacks are made from navy beans. It’s a great way to get kids the nutrition they need in flavors they will love.

So, here’s to road trips with little ones that don’t have to be stressful when you have the right tools to get you through them! Which flavor would your child love the most? Original or White Cheddar & Broccoli?

I want to talk about something today that hits super close to home for me. Job loss or transition is something that can happen in a split second. You may seem so secure in what you have been doing for years and then you blink and it’s gone. This happened to me recently. My whole department got off-shored for cheaper labor. Yes, it sucks. But if this is also happening to you or someone you love, you are not alone.

It happens every day. Someone decides to change careers, unexpectedly loses a job, or lands a project in new area. During this transition, however, some strong feelings can arise. Feelings like fear, overwhelm, depression and even anger. While these feelings are natural, not having a plan to manage them can set you up for a meltdown.

Leaving a job or transitioning to a new one can easily become an emotional roller-coaster if you’re unprepared. If the transition came about as a result of a layoff or termination, it’s understandable why you might feel upset. But even if the choice is voluntarily, this can also be overwhelming.

Job transitions can be stressful no matter what the reason. If you’re facing one, consider these tips to help you manage it successfully.

Take an honest look at yourself. What are your strengths, weaknesses, skills? How did those influence—positively or negatively—your transition? It can be hard to think about your weaknesses, but the only way to improve with your next position is to be honest about what part you may have had in the transition.

Step up your self-care. Major changes are physically and emotionally taxing. You need self-care now more than ever. Go for a walk, take a mini vacation, spend some time journaling. Take some time to reflect on what you desire in your new position.

Engage your curiosity. What went wrong, or right? What could you have done better? What worked really well? Think outside the box and create new ideas for how to improve the next time around.

Focus on what you want, and less on what you don’t want. Keep your eye on the prize. The more you focus on what you truly want, the better chance you will have of attracting the perfect opportunity to your life.

Find support. Since your transition affects your family as well, it may be better to seek outside support from friends or professionals. Find a networking group or career seekers group to get the support and understanding you need.

Work on your thoughts. Calm your fears and reinforce your sense of hope and happiness. Maintaining negative thoughts will only block new opportunities from presenting themselves. Stay positive and motivated, opportunities will start appearing when and where you least expect them.

Reassure (or avoid) those who are threatened by, or jealous of, the change. Don’t allow someone else’s fears to control your thoughts and feelings. You will need to maintain your emotional strength during this time.

Create your own rite of passage. Ceremony and ritual help with all transitions. Find a way to celebrate and enjoy this change. Reward yourself when you take a step in the right direction. You deserve it!

Let go of how things were “supposed to be” and accept “how things are.” Find appreciation for what is happening in your life now.

Keep things in perspective. Or try on a new perspective. Don’t get stuck. Remember, the only constant is change. Don’t overthink yourself into a place of stress and overwhelm. Give yourself a reality check every once in a while.

Life is about change, nothing stays the same forever, and change can bring something better into your life that you never would have had if things stayed the same. Be open and welcoming to what’s happening in your life and the possibilities it brings with it.